Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2020
Keywords:
Performed at one institution, Cross-sectional study, Retrospective, Dosimetric comparison, Safety, Dosimetry, CT, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Paediatric, Abdomen, Action 7 - Radiation protection of children
Authors:
H. F. L. Verelst, M. Aertsen, H. Bosmans
DOI:
10.26044/esi2020/ESI-02153
Conclusion and recommendations
Tube current modulation in abdominal CT imaging of pediatric patients does not always guarantee a good dose - image quality relationship.
Automated exposure control and tube current modulation do indeed lower radiation doses very adequately in pediatric CT-imaging of the abdomen: radiation doses strongly correlated with weight and all radiation doses were in line with the recommended Dose Reference Levels. However, image quality was not always maintained when weak tube current settings were used and image quality showed a moderate correlation with radiation doses. Therefore, lowering radiation doses through tube current modulation in pediatric imaging should always be carefully undertaken and a feedback mechanism with continuous evaluation of image quality should be included.
Our study concluded with a suggestion to increase the dose settings.
Further investigation is necessary, as just a small and heterogeneous group of patients was retrospectively investigated and all images were scored by a last year student of medicine. Perhaps a bigger cohort of patients or scoring by a certified radiologist would change the outcome of our study.